Genus 1. A lc e d o .
Alcedo, Linu. Syst. Na t. i. p. 178 (1766).............................
Typo.
a. Torque pectorali nuHo.
a'. Abdomine rufo vel intense castaneo.
a". Tectricibus alarum conspicue cyaneo apicatis.
o'". Regionc paroticEi rufft.
o"". Major, viridi-cyanea: rosti-o b r e v i ........................................ i .
h"". Minor, leete cyauea: rostro l o n g o .........................................2.1
b"K Regione pai-oticd nigr& cyaneo notatd.
d'". Major, viridis : scapulaiibus vii-idibus...................................3 . ^
d"". Minor, l^ te cy a n e a : scapulaiibus c y a n e i s ....................... 4. moluccensis.
b". Tectricibus alai'um cyaneo vix apicatis.
c"[. M ajo r: sexibus similibus: supril satura te ultramarina . . 5. quadribrachys.
d'". M in o r: sexibus differentibus : suprk late ultramarina . . 6. asiaiica.
b'. Abdomine pallide au ran tiaco ..................................................................7. semitorquata.
b. Torque peetoraU cyaneo.
a'. Major : scapularibns nigris satura te beryllino la v a tis ................8. euryzona.
V. Minor : scapulai’ibus b e r y llin is ............................................................ 9. beryllina.
T h e fu ll synonymy o f th e different species is given in the work; b u t I shall tak e the
opportunity here afforded me o f adding notes or correcting m istak e s; so th a t this In tro d u ction
o u g h t to be carefully collated w ith th e accounts given in th e body of the ‘ M onograph.’
Genus 2. C o r y th o r n i s .
Corythornis, Kaup, Fam. Eisv. p. 10 ( 1 8 4 8 ) ....................... .....
Type.
c. Rostro n i g r o I. cristata.
b. Rostro corallino.
a'. Crista longa m a l a c h i ta c e a ................................................................................3. cyanostigma.
b'. Crista brevi, u l t r a m a r i n a ................................................................................3. galerita.
1. COETTIIOENIS CRISTATA.
This Madagascar b ird is certainly th e tm e Alcedo cn sta ta o f Linmcus [ex Briss.); and I
therefore reg re t th a t th is was n o t before fully recognized by me. T h e species in the present
work has been called C. vintsioides.
2. Corythornis cyanostigma.
T h e tru e A . cn sta ta o f Linneeus being now proved to be th e Madagascar bird, the contin
en tal species must bea r th e name cyanostigma, which is to be regretted, as the appellation
is applicable to th e young bird only.
3. Corythornis galerita.
I am glad to see th a t Dr. von Heu g lin agrees with me as to the improbability o f this
species being found in N.-E. Africa. The name o f C. ccemleocephala (Gm.) sinks into a
synonym in favour of the older name proposed by Müller (Syst. Nat. Suppl. p. 94).
Genus 3. A lc y o n e .
Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 336 (1837) . . .
Typo.
A . azurea.
a. Torque pectorali nuUo.
d . Abdomine rufo.
d '. Rostro robustiore.
d'K Suprk saturate u lriam a rin a ..................................................................... I. lessoni.
W'. Suprk Isetissime u l t r a m a r i n a ...............................................................2. affinis.
b". Rostro tenuiore.
d". Rostro breviore: pileo nigro distincte f a s e i a t o .......................................diemenensis.
b'". Rostro longiore, pilco baud faseiato.
a"". Hyponchoudi-iis ru f is ...........................................................................4. azurea.
fi"". Hypoehondriis pulcberrime ultramai’i n i s ...................................^.pulchra.
V. Abdomine alb o ....................................................................................................... 6. pusilla.
b. Torque pectorali l a z u l i n o ......................................................................................7. cyanopectus.
Of th e species above enumerated, Alcyone diemenensis is the only one which may he considered
to hold subspecific r an k ; for I do n o t th in k its specific characters are o f much
importance. As regards Alcyone pu silla , this species may be considered one o f the links
between th e genera Alcyone and Ceyx, while another lin k is to be found in Alcyone
cyancpectus, which is certainly veiy close to Ceyx philippinensis. Indeed it will requii-e
th e researches o f some able n aturalist, lik e Mr. AVallace, in th e Philippines, clearly to
show us what are th e differences between th e two species. My friend Count Salvador!,
who has paid much attention to these birds, stipulates for th e ir bo th being placed in the
genus Alcyone; b u t I would ra th e r keep them in the genus Ceyx, because we should then
have plumage as an additional generic character, and this is by no means an unimportant
m atter in th e classification o f Kingfishers. A ll the species o f Alcyone, distinguished by
th eir uniform backs, would he in one genus, while a ll th e species o f Ceyx, with their
b rilliant lilac or cobalt backs, would be in another genus, and th e most aben-ant forms
would be found in Ceyx philippinensis and Ceyx cyanopectus. I f researches in the
Philippine Islands show (what I believe to be more th an likely) th a t th e two last-named
birds are merely sexes or different stages o f one and th e same species, i t will naturally
be wondered th a t I could p u t them into different genera. I t will th en be necessary to
examine the types o f my descriptions; and i t will be found th at, according to the only
outward character to be discovered, the two species have been rightly placed. Externally
th e differences between Ceyx and Alcyone are very s lig h t ; bo th ai-e three-toed g e n e ra ; and